Systems for providing electronic items having customizable locking mechanism

Abstract

A method for providing a locked electronic item includes receiving a selection of an electronic lock and the electronic item from a first computing device associated with a sender. The electronic lock includes a lock clue and a lock solution. The method includes determining an answer input field configuration that includes a number of input boxes and spaces that may be arranged to correspond to the lock solution. The method includes transmitting the lock clue and the input field configuration to a second computing device associated with a recipient for display by the second computing device and receiving an attempted lock solution from the second computing device. The method further includes transmitting the electronic item to the second computing device for display or use by the second computing device in response to determining that the attempted lock solution matches the lock solution.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for providing a locked electronic item, comprising:
 receiving, from a first computing device associated with a sender via a software application, a selection of an electronic lock and the electronic item, wherein the electronic lock comprises a lock clue and a lock solution; 
 determining, based on the lock solution, an answer input field configuration, wherein the answer input field configuration comprises a number of input boxes and spaces that are arranged to correspond to the lock solution; 
 transmitting, to a second computing device associated with a recipient, the lock clue and the input field configuration; 
 causing the second computing device to display the lock clue and the input field configuration; 
 receiving, from the second computing device, an attempted lock solution comprising a set of alphanumeric characters equal to the number of input boxes, wherein the set of alphanumeric characters are configured in a spatial arrangement that corresponds to the input field configuration; 
 determining whether the attempted lock solution matches the lock solution; 
 responsive to determining that the attempted lock solution does not match the lock solution: 
 transmitting, to the first computing device, an unlock attempt notification comprising a failed unlock attempt indication; 
 receiving, from the first computing device, a remote unlock instruction; 
 unlocking and transmitting, responsive to the remote unlock instruction, the electronic item to the second computing device; 
 causing the second computing device to display the electronic item; and 
 responsive to determining that the attempted lock solution matches the lock solution, 
 transmitting the electronic item to the second computing device for display or use by the second computing device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic item is an image. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic item is a tokenized primary account number (PAN) or electronic gift card. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic item is a data file. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to determining that the attempted lock solution does not match the lock solution, transmitting a failure notification to the second computing device for display by the second computing device, wherein the failure notification comprises an indication that the attempted lock solution is incorrect. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the unlock attempt notification further comprises an indication of the attempted lock solution. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the unlock attempt notification comprises an indication of a number of failed unlock attempts. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the first computing device, data representative of one or more unlock conditions; and 
 prior to transmitting the electronic item to the second computing device, verifying that the one or more unlock conditions are satisfied. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more unlock conditions comprises an access date and verifying that the one or more unlock conditions are satisfied comprises determining that the current date is equal to or beyond the access date. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more unlock conditions comprises a maximum number of unlock attempts and verifying that the one or more unlock conditions are satisfied comprises determining that a number of attempted lock solutions received from the second device in relation to the electronic lock does not exceed the maximum number of unlock attempts. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more unlock conditions comprises a gift unlock location, the method further comprising:
 receiving, from the second computing device in association with the attempted lock solution, an image obtained from an image capture device associated with the second computing device; 
 identifying, using image recognition techniques, a landmark in the image; and 
 wherein verifying that the one or more unlock conditions are satisfied comprises determining that the identified landmark is within a predetermined proximity of the gift unlock location. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the second computing device in association with the attempted lock solution, an indication of a positive identification of a user of the second computing device based on one or more of:
 a positive identification of the user's fingerprint via a fingerprint scanner associated with the second computing device; 
 a positive identification of the user's face using image recognition techniques and based on an image obtained by an image capture device associated with the second computing device; 
 a positive identification of a user's voice using voice recognition techniques and based on an audio recording obtained by a microphone associated with the second computing device; or 
 a positive identification of a user's identity based on matching motion data obtained from a gyroscope associated with the second computing device to a stored gesture associated with authenticating the user's identity. 
 
 
     
     
       13. A method for providing a locked electronic item, comprising:
 receiving, from a computing device and via a software application, electronic lock data comprising a lock clue, an answer field configuration, and an indication of the electronic item; displaying the lock clue and a number of input boxes each configured to receive and display a single character, wherein the number of input boxes and spacing of the input boxes corresponds to the answer field configuration; 
 receiving, via a user input device, an attempted lock solution, wherein the attempted lock solution comprises a sequence of characters, wherein each character of the sequence of characters is input into one of the number of input boxes; 
 transmitting, to the computing device, the attempted lock solution; 
 responsive to the computing device determining that the attempted lock solution does not match the lock solution: 
 receiving, from the computing device, an indication that the attempted lock solution does not match the lock solution; 
 receiving, from the computing device and responsive to the computing device providing a remote unlock instruction, the electronic item; 
 responsive to the computing device determining that the attempted lock solution matches a lock solution stored by the computing device, receiving, from the computing device, the electronic item; and 
 displaying the electronic item. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the computing device, data representative of a location-based unlock condition; 
 displaying, based on the data representative of the location-based unlock condition, information representative of an unlock location; 
 receiving, from a location sensor, location data; 
 transmitting, to the computing device, the location data; and 
 responsive to the computing device determining based on the location data that the location-based unlock condition is met, receiving, from the computing device, the electronic item. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the computing device, data representative of a time-based unlock condition; 
 displaying, based on the data representative of the time-based unlock condition, information representative of an unlock time; 
 determining time data, wherein the time data represents a current time and/or date; and 
 responsive to the computing device determining based on the time data that the time-based unlock condition is met, receiving, from the computing device, the electronic item. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the computing device, a request for user authentication; and 
 prior to transmitting the attempted lock solution to the computing device, authenticating a user, wherein authenticating a user comprises one or more of:
 obtaining the user's fingerprint from a fingerprint scanner and matching the obtained fingerprint to a stored fingerprint of the user within a predetermined confidence level; 
 obtaining an image of the user's face from an image capture device and matching the image to a stored image of the user's face using image recognition techniques; 
 obtaining a recording of the user's voice from a microphone and applying voice analysis techniques to positively identify the user by comparing the recording to stored voice data associated with the user; or 
 obtaining motion data from a gyroscope and matching the motion data to a stored gesture within a predetermined confidence level, wherein the stored gesture represents an identifying gesture associated with the user. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more unlock conditions comprises a gift unlock location and verifying that the one or more unlock conditions are satisfied comprises determining, based on location data received from the second computing device, that the second computing device is within a predetermined proximity of the gift unlock location. 
     
     
       18. A method for providing a locked electronic item, comprising:
 receiving, from a first computing device associated with a sender via a software application, a selection of an electronic lock and the electronic item, wherein the electronic lock comprises a lock clue and a lock solution; 
 determining, based on the lock solution, an answer input field configuration, wherein the answer input field configuration comprises a number of input boxes and spaces that are arranged to correspond to the lock solution; 
 transmitting, to a second computing device associated with a recipient, the lock clue and the input field configuration; 
 causing the second computing device to display the lock clue and the input field configuration; 
 receiving, from the second computing device, one or more attempted lock solutions each comprising a set of alphanumeric characters equal to the number of input boxes, wherein the set of alphanumeric characters are configured in a spatial arrangement that corresponds to the input field configuration; 
 responsive to determining that a first incorrect attempted lock solution of the one or more attempted lock solutions does not match the lock solution: 
 transmitting a failed attempt notification to the first computing device; 
 receiving, from the first computing device, a secondary lock clue; 
 transmitting, to the second computing device, the secondary lock clue; and 
 causing the second computing device to display the secondary lock clue contemporaneously with the input field configuration; and 
 responsive to determining that one or more additional incorrect attempted lock solutions of the one or more attempted lock solutions do not match the lock solution: 
 receiving, from the first computing device, a remote unlock instruction; 
 unlocking and transmitting, responsive to the remote unlock instruction, the electronic item to the second computing device; 
 causing the second computing device to display the electronic item; and 
 responsive to determining that a first correct attempted lock solution of the one or more attempted lock solutions matches the lock solution, transmitting the electronic item to the second computing device for display or use by the second computing device. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the electronic item is an electronic gift card and the secondary lock clue comprises a first subset of alphanumeric characters corresponding to one or a plurality of words formed by the first set of alphanumeric characters. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein the electronic gift card corresponds to the plurality of words formed by the first set of alphanumeric characters. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the electronic item is configured to remain locked until the one or more additional incorrect attempted lock solutions reaches a predetermined minimum number of attempts.